a great and noble undertaking
the past 6 months have been..well...so many things. mind numbing, physically exhausting, mentally taxing, and mind blowingly visceral..all to give us the strength to endure what is to come. Just looking in my wallet I can see the evidence of the nonstop training I've been through these past few months..an IPHABD (Intermediate Passenger Helicopter Aircrew Breathing Device) certification card along with advanced helo ditching and surface survival skills training certifications from Survival Systems USA, an M1123 humvee license with MAK (the new armor)qualification. Not to mention TRAP (tactical recovery of aircraft and personnel)school (which included a SERE {survival evasion resistance and escape}course) and a week long comm course where I earned certification to be the platoons RO (radio operator) and or wireman if they need one. Division schools saw us intensely improving our mortar specific skills in a series of tests and mortar shoots. On top of all that we brushed up on some infantry rifleman and also our mortar skills in fake downtown fallujah for 2 weeks, and just as long in the desert at twentynine palms. Not to mention recently I've been getting some bootcamp deja vu with going through the gas chamber again and also continuing with our swim qualification..where apparently they won't stop till the whole platoon is qualfied WSQ. There's more where that came from ..but the rest is all a blur. All I know now is that in a little over a month, including about 2 weeks of well deserved leave, I will embark on what will go down in my memories as the great crusade in my life(I was trying to think of a way to make that sound cool, but it'll just have to stay corny the way I like it)...leaving home not really knowing when (and if) I'll make it back. The USS Tarawa will be my home for a few months while it ships us all to war down the stream merilly merilly merilly merilly..where life really is but a dream..and the fear of waking up to something worse becomes your worst nightmare.
you know..it's funny..both of our blood thirsty section leaders, staff sergeant types, neither of whom have ever seen any action besides a little on tv, I'm relatively sure..is gonna get quite a few of us killed..on second thought..maybe thats not so funny. They have already outlined their requirements for them recommending us for the combat action ribbon..blabberin on about it not counting if we're on a convoy and we get shot at and we shoot back...apparently we have to be in a shit sandwich of chaotic proportions, perform well, you know, try to be a hero and all that and walk away from it on top of it... oook, check check roger that... my ass
I'm pretty sure the only reason that only one marine from my platoon got killed during their last tour in Fallujah had to do with the leadership on the NCO and Staff NCO level...they were all vets from OIF I and knew what they were doing..of course they have all moved on to bigger and better things since then..but their reputations certainly precede them seeing as they have become legends of sort in their own right among the marines they led into battle.
Now our section leaders form a duo of stupidity and hubris that can potentially take us all down.
yea well..there ya go with that. I wish I could get to dealing with more personal and human things and such..but right now..I really have no life, and can barely remember my former enough to even think about continuing it when I get back to the world..I guess I'll just look at some pictures, talk to people, you know, do some research before I can come back. I really do miss everyone a lot and think about y'all whenever things slow down enough for my heartrate to return to normal for a few moments. Hopefully I'll get to see most of you when I come home before I ship off. till around that time....peace out..
"Are you righteous?
Kind?
Does your confidence lie in this?
Are you loved by all?
Know that I was, too.
Do you imagine your suffering will be any less
because you loved goodness and truth?"
you know..it's funny..both of our blood thirsty section leaders, staff sergeant types, neither of whom have ever seen any action besides a little on tv, I'm relatively sure..is gonna get quite a few of us killed..on second thought..maybe thats not so funny. They have already outlined their requirements for them recommending us for the combat action ribbon..blabberin on about it not counting if we're on a convoy and we get shot at and we shoot back...apparently we have to be in a shit sandwich of chaotic proportions, perform well, you know, try to be a hero and all that and walk away from it on top of it... oook, check check roger that... my ass
I'm pretty sure the only reason that only one marine from my platoon got killed during their last tour in Fallujah had to do with the leadership on the NCO and Staff NCO level...they were all vets from OIF I and knew what they were doing..of course they have all moved on to bigger and better things since then..but their reputations certainly precede them seeing as they have become legends of sort in their own right among the marines they led into battle.
Now our section leaders form a duo of stupidity and hubris that can potentially take us all down.
yea well..there ya go with that. I wish I could get to dealing with more personal and human things and such..but right now..I really have no life, and can barely remember my former enough to even think about continuing it when I get back to the world..I guess I'll just look at some pictures, talk to people, you know, do some research before I can come back. I really do miss everyone a lot and think about y'all whenever things slow down enough for my heartrate to return to normal for a few moments. Hopefully I'll get to see most of you when I come home before I ship off. till around that time....peace out..
"Are you righteous?
Kind?
Does your confidence lie in this?
Are you loved by all?
Know that I was, too.
Do you imagine your suffering will be any less
because you loved goodness and truth?"